Thursday, February 24, 2011

Okla. Police Captain Faces Disciplinary Action; Refused to Order Officers to Attend Islamic Event

The Fox News website reports today (February 24, 2011) that the Tulsa, Oklahoma Police Department is investigating a captain who refused an order to assign officers to attend an upcoming Islamic event, because he said it would violate his religious beliefs.

Capt. Paul Fields was reassigned after he refused to order officers under his command to attend the Islamic Center of Tulsa's Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, a spokesman for the department said.

"It is my opinion and that of my legal counsel that forcing me to enter a Mosque when it is not directly related to a police call for service is a violation of my civil rights," Fields wrote in a police department memo.

Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan said the event was about community relations, not religion.

No comments:

Post a Comment